So frustrated!

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trailrider1963
trailrider1963 Posts: 69
in Health and Weight Loss
For the last few months before joining MFP I've lost weight steadily at the rate of 1, sometimes 2, pounds a week, for a total of 16 pounds. I wasn't even exercising or counting calories, fat, etc. I just cut out all the junk, decreased meat, and increased vegetables and whole grains. Since joining MFP a week ago I'm excercising and coming in under my calories on most days, but I've GAINED 2 pounds in the last week! I don't think it's fluid retention because I'm usually under my sodium and I'm drinking tons of water. And yes, I'm sure I'm logging everything. Does anybody know why I might have gained?

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  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
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    Mainly it's that we don't lose weight steadily. There will always be weeks when we stall or even gain. And you could be holding fluid despite all that you do to avoid it. Our bodies just do that sometimes. Don't let a week discourage you. You're doing the right stuff.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Muscles sore? You retain water when your muscles are sore when you are working out. Your body isnt used to keeping up yet.

    takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat. If you didnt go over your calories you didnt actually gain
  • trailrider1963
    trailrider1963 Posts: 69
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    I went for a very long horseback ride, much longer than usual, on Sunday and I am still somewhat sore from that.
  • salmanajmal
    salmanajmal Posts: 93 Member
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    Muscles sore? You retain water when your muscles are sore when you are working out. Your body isnt used to keeping up yet.

    takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat. If you didnt go over your calories you didnt actually gain

    i agree with this post. i had increased my weight by 2 kg in a very short time, but in my case the culprit was the "starvation mode" i had started consuming 200-500 calories a day.
  • SusanneWhittington
    SusanneWhittington Posts: 339 Member
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    your diary looks great, it might be because of the exercise, that your body gets more muscles, which in the long run will make you loose weight faster. Just keep going, mostly this takes 2 to 3 weeks. As soon as you notice a feeling of standing still in your weight loss, try to change your exercise routine.
  • lildietitian
    lildietitian Posts: 45 Member
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    You should be eating back most of your exercise calories. Your body needs that fuel to recover the muscle to burn the fat. You eat very clean, Congrats! Wish I had the willpower like that! Increase your cardio, drink lots of water... and just keep chugging along. Your body will work itself out.

    Take Care!
  • erylie
    erylie Posts: 34
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    I agree with the people who are talking about muscle... I think a LOT of it is muscle sore-ness. I did some different machines at the gym the beginning of last week. I weighed myself the next morning and I had "gained" 1.5 lb overnight! I was frustrated... but two days later it said that I had "lost" that 1.5lb PLUS another pound.... So I've found that when my muscles are sore, it doesn't "show" the loss right away... don't worry... It seems like you're doing a great job!
  • PhiMuHoney
    PhiMuHoney Posts: 127 Member
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    Muscle also weighs more than fat, so if you're exercising now when you weren't exercising before, you may have lost fat, but gained muscle mass, so the scale hasn't balanced itself yet. Like what everyone else has said, just keep doing what you're doing now and it will work out.
  • stephanie8625
    stephanie8625 Posts: 119 Member
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    :flowerforyou: I had the same frustration -- I have been on it and doing the calorie count, in the gym, feeling good, lost 3 pounds, went to the gym yesterday burned 300 caloires on cardio and lifted weights !! Woke up this morning and I gained 1 pound, which I thought I would of lost 1 pound because I was under my calorie count and burned calories at the gym !! From reading posts, I just need to stick with it, and you do to, because it seems like everything will iron itself out in 2-3 weeks -- Stay strong !!
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    So, 2lb gain in a week. Have you ate a 7000 calorie excess this week? No? Then its not fat. Dont worry about it :)
  • tinkets
    tinkets Posts: 1
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    You've gained weight due to excercising, basically you have put on muscle, and muscle is heavier than fat
    so dont be put off its good!
  • trailrider1963
    trailrider1963 Posts: 69
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    Thanks for all the encouragement. I didn't know that muscle soreness could cause fluid retention, that helps explain things. I knew it weighed more than fat but I didn't think I'd built up that much in just a week! It was just so hard to see the scale go up when it's gone steadily done for a few months. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and wait for my body to work things out.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Muscles sore? You retain water when your muscles are sore when you are working out. Your body isnt used to keeping up yet.

    takes 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat. If you didnt go over your calories you didnt actually gain

    I agree with this!

    We have the same goal weight of 145, though I started out at 175 pounds. I lost consistently in the beginning, then after a few weeks to a month, some weeks I'd lose nothing, some I went up a pound, and others I'd go down two pounds. There was no rhyme or reason, other than weight loss isn't linear. There will be ups, downs, and straight lines, unfortunately!
  • trailrider1963
    trailrider1963 Posts: 69
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    So, 2lb gain in a week. Have you ate a 7000 calorie excess this week? No? Then its not fat. Dont worry about it :)

    LOL! Never thought of it that way, but I always will now!

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